Trump blocks $1.1 bn security aid to Islamabad; can survive, says Pakistan

The US has suspended more than  $1.15 billion security assistance to Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of harbouring terror groups like the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani Network within its border and showing an unwillingness to take "decisive actions" against them.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said on Thursday that Pakistan could survive without United States' aid, as the similar situation had occurred in the past too.

"They did it in the past as well, which is evident from our history. They have always betrayed us in hard times," Geo News quoted Asif as saying.

The freezing of all security assistance to Pakistan comes days after President Donald Trump in a new year tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

Prominent among the suspended amount includes $255 million in Foreign Military Funding (FMF) for the fiscal year 2016 as mandated by the Congress.

In addition, the Department of Defense has suspended the entire $900 million of the Coalition Support Fund (CSF) money to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2017.
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